Belgian premier says Europe 'not slaves' of US

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever called Thursday in a speech to parliament for a stronger and more united Europe following recent tensions over Greenland and the US's posture toward its allies.

"The United States is the strongest, but our dignity is not for sale. We are not slaves," he said.

Speaking ahead of an EU leaders meeting in Brussels, De Wever said recent developments had highlighted Europe's strategic vulnerabilities and the urgency of strengthening its autonomy, public broadcaster RTBF reported.

He made the remarks after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where US President Donald Trump announced that a framework for a potential deal involving Greenland and the broader Arctic region had been reached.

He said Europe had narrowly avoided "a real catastrophe," adding that the episode should serve as a wake-up call.

"We Europeans must be prepared to weather storms and stand alone," he said, calling for faster progress on defense cooperation, capital markets integration, and enhanced cooperation mechanisms within the EU.

"Even if it's not for tomorrow, we must accelerate," he added.

EU leaders met in Brussels to address developments with Washington following tensions from Trump's interest in Greenland due to its strategic Arctic position, abundant mineral resources, and growing concerns about Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

Separately, speaking to RTBF, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said US global dominance is matched by Europe's strategic weakness.

He said the deployment of European troops to Greenland was wrongly perceived by Washington as an anti-American move, stressing it was intended to reassure the US and address Arctic security concerns linked to China and Russia.

Prevot welcomed Trump's decision to drop the threat of additional tariffs on European countries, calling such measures "unacceptable" while warning that the pause could be temporary due to Trump's "unpredictability."

He said the EU must prepare proportional response plans, including economic countermeasures if necessary.